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Man gets prison for selling fake UGG boots

A 42-year-old Staten Island, New York man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison in connection with trying to sell more than $2.5 million worth of counterfeit designer boots into Port Newark, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito

A 42-year-old Staten Island man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison in connection with trying to bring more than $2.5 million worth of counterfeit designer boots into Port Newark, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Shi Wei Zheng had previously pleaded before U.S. District Court Judge John MIchael Vazquez to one count of trafficking in counterfeit good. Vazquez sentenced Zheng Tuesday in Newark federal court. Zheng also received two years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements, between September 2016 and February 2017 Zheng received the numbers for overseas shipping containers that contained counterfeit UGG boots, a popular designer brand. He asked port workers to remove the containers before U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel could examine the merchandise.

He then arranged for the containers to be delivered to people who worked for him for distribution of the fake UGG merchandise in New Jersey and other locations.

Law enforcement officials, however intercepted the containers, examined the contents and determined the boots were counterfeit before they could be distributed. Zheng was not authorized to import authentic or counterfeit UGG products, according to Carpenito.